YOU.Your friends, their friends, their friend's friends.
It was all of you that may have caused the tidal wave of criticism, betrayal, frustration and downright anger that may struck a collective nerve.
A community up in arms over the systematic destruction of a legacy station deeply rooted in the conscience of Bay Area radio fans.
I reported on Friday that the Cumulus Market Manager here, Steve Sklenar, conceded to an ad buyer that the format change --from talk to all-news, (except on weekend), has been an abject failure and that KGO would probably go back to the talk format, (more on that later).
Sklenar reacted to my report with a "no comment" and when I pressed him further on the matter was steadfast in his earlier no comment stance. He didn't deny my report nor was he dismissive and saying something to the effect, "you're crazy." Which says a lot. It was no coincidence that Lew Dickey himself was in town briefly during the week to talk business. My gut says KGO was on his checklist.
Here's what I believe, (again)--and no, I'm not 100% certain but I also have talked to people in the know who tell me that the move back to talk--a certain hybrid mix of both local and syndicated programming is all but certain and will be instituted within months, perhaps sooner.
Sklenar and others high up in the Cumulus food chain know the situation; the ratings decline, the loss of significant advertisers with only a scant amount of holdovers and continuing free fall with no light at the end of the tunnel. If nothing else, even Cumulus has some degree of pragmatism. They see the downfall of the once-mighty Wurlitzer. They acknowledge the present business model isn't working. In plain English, the hallmark SF radio station is not only buried in the ratings, but cannot even literally give away bonus commercials to attract advertisers and is fast losing their few remaining holdovers.
I can't prove this but I believe KGO is losing money. Like LOSING money. Got that? Which may have been at the forefront of Dickey's trip to the city, among other pressing issues but trust me, this development was at the top. KGO, without the subsidy of money maker KNBR and others in the SF "cluster" would be in the toilet right now essentially drifting away. Only KSFO, the much-for-sale, small guy down at 560 is in worse shape but KSFO, unlike KGO, has far less overhead and actually turns a small profit.
KGO has 50,000 watts and a very strong signal. It is a shame that this once radio behemoth has lost a major listener core of people, older sure, but dedicated and loyal who have posted protest pages on Facebook and organized rallies bemoaning the loss of its community listening outpost and popular talk-show hosts. That in and of itself has resulted in the bottom-barrel ratings, the loss of box-retail advertising and the decline in the bottom line which got the ear, finally, perhaps, of the big suits in Atlanta.
Many of you have come hear to air your grievances and vent your anger and disgust; many of you have come here to get the latest news and information regarding KGO and its current state which has never worked and was even forecast to doom the moment soon after that dreadful day in December, 2011 when the purge took place. Unlike a certain morning host who reacted with a totally phony fifteen-minute plate of disingenuous tripe, you all never backed down and told the new KGO how much they screwed up and how much the nefarious deed they perpetrated would be met by the Bay Area citizens, a group of people more outraged by the day and willing to show that outrage by tuning KGO out and throwing it into the ratings abyss.
YOU succeeded. The domino effect took place and continues to this day. Hence the likelihood of something profound about to take place in the upper corporate offices. And if so, good for you, heck, good for, (I can't believe I'm saying this), Cumulus finally coming to its senses and acknowledging what everyone knew months ago.
KGO, in its heyday, billed as much as $30M a year and had solid #1 ratings status from 1976-2008; its listeners were considered "old", which is really a joke when you consider people in their mid-to-late 60's buy gourmet food, take vacations, buy cars and homes and electronic gadgets and smartphones just like the morning host himself. The same people that live in Marin and Pleasanton, and Burlingame and Foster City and Oakland and Piedmont who were thrown to the wolves.
YOU ALL deserve a huge huzzah! It was all of you that came here, mostly, that refused to let the candle burn out and turn away from what the new KGO tried to reinvent itself. To this day, the idea of KGO competing against KCBS in 24/7 news is ludicrous at best. But that's in the rear-view mirror, it appears.
KGO has the chance to make peace with its listeners. They can hire new, younger, vibrant voices and combine a hybrid of news-talk with the traditional morning, afternoon, and midday news block just like the good old days. They can probably get the Oakland Raiders back on AM and build a relationship on the weekend around a strong sports alliance with Cal football and its affiliates. By doing so it has a chance to upgrade the sad situation currently taking place on the weekend schedule.
Here's a possible blueprint: Morning News, 5-9; Ronn Owens, 9-Noon, (until his contract ends); Noon News; Len Tillem; 2-3, Pat Thurston,3-5; Afternoon News, 5-8 --and either John Rothmann or Ethan Bearman from 8-Midnight. Overnight to be considered ...Probably Bloomberg West or a local overnight show, remember this is just a blueprint. Other hosts like a Christine Craft could fit in on the weekend or weekday nights.
In the next coming days I'm going to reach out to some of the key figures involved in shaping up the new plan which I still believe is a plan-by-committee. Nothing now of course is set in concrete --this whole latest development is in its early embryonic stages, if at all. That said, based on conversations, e-mails, and the like I do sense we are about to see a new radio station re-positioning itself. It will be a difficult transformation and many of its past players will not be a part of the new show but at least, again, hold your breath, Cumulus has seen the light, weighed in your considerable reaction and feelings and has finally decided to make a move.
We will, of course, be here and observe the next moves and gauge your reaction and analysis--as they say, stay tuned.
*Follow me on Twitter
Rich Lieberman 415 Media
KGO Radio
Cumulus
KSFO
KNBR
Other than 2 hours of Forum on kqed, there is no more local talk radio like we had for so many years at KGO. Despite 910 billing its programming as live and local, it is a completely different model of talk and not nearly as compelling as talk shows with questions and opinions from callers (or even texters and tweeters) and in-depth interviews with authors, politicians, educators, etc.
ReplyDeleteSo after almost 3 years without local talk, if Cumulus recreates (please, please) the old format, it will be like a new model of programming. At least they'd be the only ststion in town doing that kind of programming.
I realize this is only a dream, but we can dream, can't we? I'm afraid they'll just import some 2nd tier syndicated talk because it's much easier to just plug some already-known name into the schedule than to actually hire some quality local hosts.
So this is potentially good news, but I'm withholding my excitement until we see what they actually come up with. Unfortunately I'm not particularly optimistic.
Interesting observations Rich, and I don't think you're that far off. Whatever happens, the suits in Atlanta must do something, anything, to get this once proud station out of the doldrums. That old saying: "you reap what you sow" is certainly applicable when you look at what Cumulus has done to KGO.
ReplyDeleteDon't look for an apology if/when the change comes. It's just a fact of life, now. KGO must rebuild and, like an eathquake, this will take time. It will not go back to what it was. It can't. There is no Gene Burns, no Pete Wilson, no Lloyd Lindsay Young (yet) and others who made a difference will have to be cajoled back. A John Rothman can't do four hours, or three. Maybe two and less on the Middle East, more on history and localism. Either that, or KGO will go with syndication and they need to do that sparingly.
DeleteSure this is a positive development but I wonder if four hours of Rothman talking about the evil of the muslim brotherhood five times a week will bring back listeners. Rich, if KGO goes back to all talk will this affect michael Zwerling's decision to buy a bay area station?
ReplyDeleteWill never happen. Not at $10-million plus for KSFO, 610 or any station that covers SF. He can't support KSCO as it is. He quoted to David G. Hall last week, "It costs $60,000 a month to operate KSCO. If it wasn't for Youngevity products, we make less than half that amount in local advertising. I'd be out of business."
DeleteHe wants to sell, but last I heard, he wants $4.5 million for KSCO. Won't happen in this lifetime. His competitor cost $600,000 a few years ago and sold for less than $200,000 last year.
Ditto @12:47. I heard the show you referenced last week where MZ gave some numbers. However; I didn't hear him say he wants to sell the station. Is that really true? They've been tweaking the shows at KSCO but man it is amateur hour over there. Charles Friedman + Georgia + Rush = 7 daily hours of uninterrupted Obama bashing. Even the die hards must get sick of Benghazi and Obamacare! From 4-7pm Dave Michaels and Lacky has been a disaster. Where's Lieberman live? At least he'd move the needle!!!!
DeleteKSCO is always for sale. However, no one will meet MZ's or Kay's specifications. He whispers the potential of selling, but wants it to be sold to local people who will continue with the "artform" he's created in the Santa Cruz market.
DeleteYou would be very surprised to know one of the people who expressed an interest about buying KSCO, When MZ senses $$$$, the price goes up. No deal. .
It's sad. Rich was improving so much, funny and topical. Dave was the perfect sidekick. Now, however, MZ is rubbing shoulders with people who have the power to convince him how to run his station and MZ is powerless to make a decision on how to do it right. He thinks being the AM "potpourri" of Santa Cruz is so popular, but, as you heard, it's a ragtag group of non-money making people who are lucky to have jobs.
DeleteOr, like the "Karaoke" people -- they pay for the time, as do others. I'm thinking the Karaoke show has run it's course. I heard Georgia on there three days this week and her days must be numbered as well. Charlie, please play better bumper music.
Interesting information regarding KSCO. Call me nuts but for my money the best show is the British woman Ruth Copland on Saturdays (no I'm not her husband). Does she buy air time for the show? If the karaoke show pays for the air time does that mean the same goes for the fishing show and the local sports show? One positive I've noticed is they've either cut back or completely cut out the Kay Zwerling editorials where she quoted Trump or the bible. Whoever made that decision deserves a raise!
DeleteWhy are you adding Ethan Bearman to the mix, it sounds like he is the replacement for Barbara Simpson, he is not as conservative as Barbara but he is definitely not a liberal, I don't care about his persuasion so much, as I found his way of talking very annoying and condescending, the way he draaaaws out many woooords sounds like he is talking down to the listeners. Also after KGO fired all of their good hosts, and some not so good (Gil Gross) they had Stacy Taylor and Peter B. Collins on as guest hosts, I like them both, especially Taylor why not add them to the mix, Matt Ray is better than Ethan Bearman. They could do news late afternoon when people are driving and listeners come and go frequently, then go back to the schedule they had one host from 7 to 10 p.m. another 10 to 1 p.m., back when Gene was on I heard many callers telling him how he made their horrendous commute (Tracy, Modesto) interesting, many people are still commuting 1 to 3 hours each way. If they want a syndicated show how about Bill Press, he has ties to the Bay Area and often filled in for Ronn, perhaps he could do late night. Lots of possibilities, I suggest we all write KGO what our preferences are, it sounds like they are in a listening mode, take advantages of whatever window we have to heard.
ReplyDeleteI think many feel that KGO must be "politically based" either left or right. I think not. Don't be emotional by thinking that way for control.
DeleteKGO is a business and an expensive enterprise to operate. Just because the ratings have tanked, doesn't make it less expensive to run. Even solar power on that three tower array doesn't isn't free. .
KGO will not be a homecoming. I agree with Rich. New, vibrant voices of both on all sides plus a centrist one (51% of Americans are now listed as centrists) will make a difference.
The price of talent is only as good as that talent. KGO has seen the train of high priced talent leave the station. It can't afford it and won't turn the station back into the 60+ audience it had become. Why? Older demographics do not spend money on change. They went through that, with advertising in their past, and are now much harder to convnce of change. The younger 18-49 year olds are the advertiser targets.
KGO cannot be rebuilt tomorrow. It will take at least two years. Ad rates once $1000 or more per commercial have now been reduced to $200 - $400 or so. Rich, again is correct.. The station cannot give away enough bonus ads. The reason, each "bonus" may seem "free" but it's not. A once $700 commercial with a bonus spot at $500 means that each commercial is worth $250 ... not $700. That's called "losing money." The station must rebuild that trust both with audience (ratings) and economy-of-scale (billing / revenues). Lew Dickey has an MBA. .
KGO is an AM station. AM is virtually on its deathbed. In Philadelphia, home to former KGO producer Jared Hart, that market's #1 radio station -- KYW 1060, -- a CBS property -- has lost 4 ratings points in the last 3 months. An 8 share to a 4 --- nnearly 53% of its audience. This at a time when Philadelphians needed "traffic and weather together" with the winter they've had. They are the only AM station in the top 20. Jared Hart's WPHT is the "talker" even with Phillies baseball is on it's deathbed with numbers like KGO's.
The older audience clamoring for KGO's past will be disappointed. A John Rothman coming back? Yes, I think so. But not at $150,000 a year. It will be more like $75,000 or just above AFTRA scale in San Francisco. A Len Tillem coming back? Sure. Again, for a little more than pocket change, plus, Len has his own studio to do a show A Ray Talifiero? I'd say no. The Dickeys / Cumulus can go one wing or the other at once, but radicalism will be tightened considerably. Look for the likes of Red Eye Radio or a lighter but opinionated maybe with some more localized Bloomsberg business chit-chat.
Ronn will be there and is already at a lot less then he was making. An option being extended in one year? Maybe. .
Sports will be major to KGO. They have Cal, but needs more. The Raiders would open inroads and would be a cash cow for KGO. Plus, a younger audience.
I wouldn't be surprised if Cumulus converts a weaker but decent signalled FM to go KGO-FM. Here's a hint. Look for that to happen here. FM still has life. AM, hardly.
The station needs a new, non-boring outlook, image and base to deal from. It's not about just politics or cutesy topics like "why do wives cheat on their husbands" like last night. It has to be topical, yet controlled, fast paced and shorter.
KGO doesn't need traffic.Many devices in cars to do that. It does not need Dallas induced headlines. ABC is fine. The news is, literally, the talk of the hosts and the listeners together.
A Savage? Yes. A Karel? No. A Craft? Possibly. A Thurston? Yes. Entertainers, comics and blowhards? No.
It needs to be "The Bay Area's OWN ... KGO 810."
Thanks for your time and consideration.
Where did you get the idea of John Rothman being on for 4 hours, the only hosts who does 4 hours is Gil, which is about 4 hours too much, and Armstrong and Getty which is about 2 hours too much. The only time the old KGO did 4 hours was 1 to 5 a.m. with Ray Talifero, and when John Rothman was on Saturday a.m. I believe 1 to 5 a.m. and or was Sunday and Monday a.m. I believe he came on Saturday after midnight and did 4 hours, the next day Sunday after midnight he did 3 hours, I believe. John did not and does not spend 4 hours talking about the evil muslim, he talks foreign politics, at times, which often include Middle East politics, and he points out the problems the Middle East is having. If you are looking for a Muslim bashing host try Brian Sussman 5 to 9 weekday on KSFO and you a point, the same can be said for recently fired week-end host, compared to those 2 John Rothmann is muslim sympathizer.
ReplyDelete11:23, go back and read again. Four hours with Rothman would be waaaay to much. Two hours max, possibly three in a pinch. Not four. Take a look at what you've and how many "4 hour" shifts you've mentioned yourself. Those days are long over, as are, 3 hour shifts in many places.
DeleteLook at how TV news is presented. You may not like it, but it's fact. Let's use CNN. You have New Day for 3 hours. Carol Costello for two. The "Hour" for one hour. Ashley Banfield for one hour. The Wolf for an hour. Brooke Baldwin for two. Jack Tapper for one hour then Blitzer returns for an unGodly three hours, before Erin Burnett for one, Cooper for one, "CNN Tonight" for one and Don Lemon etc.
Fox is no different, nor in MSPMS.
The attention span is different and "dumbed down. Though Cumulus owns it's own traffic and weather division in Dallas, it doesn't need it on the air in the Bay Area. Local news blocks in the morning, noon and afternoon -- shorter than 3 hours, would help. The longest thing on that station could be all night and during sports. That's it.
Hopefully they go Spanish.
ReplyDeleteHopefully you're being sarcastic or joking. We have enough of those kind of garbage stations in the US already
DeleteThis talk of improving by returning to talk radio is good, but I can't believe they allowed this slow bleed of popularity and status without it being a deliberate effort. I pretty much concluded that the station owners wished to drive down the market value of their property, of kgo, sell it and move on, creating a new satelite radio station. I cannot believe that after what? two and a half years of demolition, that management has suddenly realized "OMG! What have we done!?" If there has been such an epiphany, it would be because a decision was made to not repair, not fortify that supposedly 'old' concept of radio. We'll see if this amounts to anything besides talk.
ReplyDeleteBy September, if not sooner, I would expect to see substantial changes made or attempted. I had accepted that the listener's opinions and desires meant next to nothing when speaking of terrestrial radio. I will need to be convinced by events (or lack thereof) in the near future.
Some of Humpty Dumpty's Radio World can never be put back together again, because the talent has lost all confidence in management to place appropriate value on quality. I thought local radio was like, OVER over. I hope I'm wrong.
Here's some inside skinny for you. Cumulus, in it's unwise wisdom, went $2.1 billion in debt to buy the heritage ABC/Cumulus radio stations, of which KGO is a part.
DeleteUnfortunately, the didn't realize a few things. The most important being this: They never operated, as ABC or Citadel did.Cumulus did NOT OPERATE A MAJOR MARKET radio station like KABC Los Angeles, KLOS Los Angeles, WLS AM and FM Chicago, WABC / WPLJ New York and "network operations" including satellite delivered formats 24/7, the ABC Radio News network branding and their over 250 small and medium sized stations nationwide. KGO, KSFO and the the KGO / KSFO Cumulus cluster in the Bay Area has long been a "difficult market" after it was raped by Farrid Suleman and his Citadel marauders before Cumulus came along. Still, it was the "jewel" of the west coast operation until Cumulus adapted its small market ways into major market management.
It didn't work. Now, we'll see how they can "hybrid" the situation to be the "next big thing."
Remember, it's a business. Listeners don't really count at all. Income, revenue, debt service and profit are what counts. Not putting Barbara Simpson or Ehan Bearman on the air.
If I had a dime for every station owner, general manager or investor group I've met who say, "We could play baboon farts on that frequency and make more money than they ever did," I'd be richer than Lew Dickey and his brother John who make plenty of money.
The thing is, programming is a convenience to brag about to advertisers who are the lifeblood of radio. Withut them, you have no radio, so, the effort better be full and complete. Listeners do count. However, it must be the RIGHT listeners and that's those who can hel generate the biggest success for advertisers today.
It'll never happen! Cumulus is stupid. They're going to stay with all news all the time! That'd be great to go back to Newstalk. But they don't want newstalk; just news! I hope I'm wrong but the suits want news, news, and more news! That's just the way it is.
ReplyDeleteI'd bet California Chrome that you're wrong, 12:06. First off, a "news" format, as Cumulus has found here in the Bay Area and in Atlanta, their homebase, is prohibitively expensive to do. It is an interesting and often exciting "brand" but like the drought -- it becomes dry repetitive and more expensive each month.
DeleteKCBS doesn't make up the news. They cover what's important to their perceived audience. It says "All News - All The Time" not "All the News - All The Time". That would be impossible and impractical to do. They're doing it right with their expensive resources and most of all, they own the brand "News Radio 740." Be happy you have someone doing it right. Their ratings and billing prove it.
Please, no Pat Thurston.
ReplyDeletePlease...More Pat Thurston!
DeleteThurston doesn't talk enough re enlightened Liberal topics.
I'd often go from Barbara Simpson totally bashing the President, back to Thurston who'd be talking about things other than politics...it infuriated me! Just a little balance would be so nice.
I hear there's a new plan to bring back the Fairness Doctrine.
People are now asking....
Why was George Dubya never held accountable for this?
"The Most Famous Presidential Briefing In United States History."
On Aug. 6, 2001, President George W. Bush received a classified review of the threats posed by Osama bin Laden and his terrorist network, Al Qaeda. That morning’s “presidential daily brief” — the top-secret document prepared by America’s intelligence agencies — featured the now-infamous heading:
“Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.”
A few weeks later, on 9/11, Al Qaeda accomplished that goal.
www.nytimes.com/2012/09/11/opinion/the-bush-white-house-was-deaf-to-9-11-warnings.html?_r=4&
But...BENGHAZI? Now that's some serious impeachment shit!
The Fairness Doctrine is dead, forever. Will not happen.
DeleteYep, and Bush/Cheney will NEVER/EVER be held accountable for the many horrendous crimes on their watch.
DeleteWhy? Because: They're Not Democrats.
The GOP/s only goal in life is: Destroy PBO and Hillary Clinton, or any other Democratic who may come close to the Presidency.
It would be nice if KGO management wrote a simple ad, something like "we goofed and we need your help to make it right". OK "goofed" doesn't say the half of it. They DESTROYED a gem of a station and a community. But, it would help if they admit their mistakes and say WE ARE LISTENING, something they haven't done in a very long time.
ReplyDelete12:19 PM. What you describe, KGO running a public policy ad, admitting they screwed up, sounds nice, but, they shouldn't bother with such FAUX-POLOGIES until they spend some 'earnest money' in getting good people onto good time slots. Real News Freaks like me won't take them seriously for quite some time, if ever again. Or as NIKE used to say, JUST DO IT .
DeleteWill never happen. Who would they apologize to? The old audience that listened but were of no interest to advertisers which made up more than half the audience The one thing you don't do in business is admit that "we're were wrong." I do hear, however, a more positive spin -- "We Hear YOU ... and You've Told Us That You Want to Talk To Us." and "You Talked to US and We Listened. KGO - News/Talk 810." Even simpler, "Talk to Us - KGO 810." Forget, even, the "News/Talk" label. Been there, done that. Just do what you want people to do. "Talk to US."
Delete@12:19,
DeleteIt would be cool if KGO did take a new approach...Like:
Tired of Radio Always Talking At You?
Well, here at KGO we want to know what YOU are thinking about.
Give us a call...what's on your mind? What's your rant? Come share it with America...because KGO, at night, can be heard as-clear-as-a-bell from Mexico to Canada!
Bet KGO could capture a whole new crop of listeners who discover that local Talk-Radio is the latest hot new thing to come along!
OMG Rich...You've got me so excited!
ReplyDeleteI've always thought KGO must have been surprised by their high weekend ratings compared to the weekday ratings. Wish we could have seen those numbers.
No, 12:26. You would have been stunned with how bad they are. The loyalty core and base disappeared. KGO refreshed the pool with mostly poor, untalented "entertainers" and the ratings plummeted to the 2.0 level and below it is now. AM radio is not growing audiences. Young people under age 40 virtually no nothing about it or care to. Just because 20 friends may listen adds nothing to the mix when estimates are over 6-million people and your share is less than 2 percent of those.in the ages most needed to be profitable.
DeleteDo the math. 6-million people. 10 percent is 600,000 people. KGO ranks a total of 427,000 (cume). One percent of 6-million is 60,000. Multiply that times 7 and you get 420,000 people of all ages. Remove the bulk of the 55+ audience share -- well over 50% of KGO's audience, you end up with a 2.0 share of all listeners - 2 percent. . Divide that number by the available number of 25-54 year olds and you end up with about a 1.3 share or less for a total of a little over 100,000 or so "sellable listeners), based on the demographic "cells", the zip codes and ages they represent in the overall market total.
It's in the numbers.. Again, these are just conservative "estimates. They could be off by as much as 20 percent, plus or minus, but too lengthy to explain here. KGO's return on investment is very weak.
You say you know what the weekend numbers are compared to the weekday numbers ...Then you say you haven't seen the numbers. Logical disconnect? or just a guess?
DeleteAn ambiguous "law-yah" question, Christine? Trying to juxtopose other's thoughts and opinions?
DeleteThe post above is a wild haired guess about "I've always thought KGO must have been surprised by their high weekend ratings compared to the weekday ratings. Wish we could have seen those numbers."
This from an emotionally involved radio-fan, I'd imagine, who interprets what they think with the unreality of truly knowing the numbers, the breakouts etc. which even you have no control in seeing or discussing.
Access, for some, is not hard to get. Sharing the info, however, is another..
Here's a hint Christine. If KGO were (and they aren't) so proud of their "weekend numbers" especially "SHARES: (not TSL or AQH) all you have to do is call Ron Escarsega at KGO. Not an underling, just go to Ron. I'm not surprised he hasn't shared the book(s) with you on trends, unless you missed the meeting. He'll surely tell you.
Or, better yet, try this. At 8:45 tonight, before Karel goes on the air and 10 minutes before his "transition", so we can all see and hear, why not call him on his iPhone and ask him. He'll blab, burp, blast all kinds of nonsense that HE knows the numbers and see what he says. I bet he's not seen nor heard the numbers either in quite some time because mid-management on up doesn't want the numbers exposed. There is no pride in a 2 share. Even if the weekends were stronger than weekdays, that share number sure doesn't affect the overall popularity of KGO to sponsors, not from 23rd place.. .
Wow, You must be one of those REPUBLICANT'S 6:57.
DeleteKGO could very well become a fabulous radio station once again.
Picture....Signs all over SF & Burbs, Bart/Buses/Cabs:
*LISTEN TO WHAT NORTHERN CA'S ALL TALKING ABOUT*
We could see a brilliant new resurgence of LOCAL TALK RADIO!
Because, think about it...Conversation is fast becoming a lost art via Texting and Internetization sweeping the world.
I could have predicted KGO's ratings free fall and I am not even in the broadcasting industry. The day they canned most of their talk hosts I deleted the station from the favorites button. After that the station had nothing to offer listeners.
ReplyDeleteKGO is gone,It's listeners are dead and the on air talent is terrible,you can't rebuild the old KGO.Get over it and listen to Sirius radio.
ReplyDeleteWow. $30M a year. You realize that is NOTHING in this day and age when even start-up companies do that amount after a couple of years in the business. All you media types need to get over yourselves. Radio personalities was never that important, and less so now. So can we please just get back to news and music?
ReplyDelete1;56 PM, "Can we please just get back to news and music?". Do you really want to listen to today's music? I'm talking about the most popular, high selling music. Katy Perry, Lady Gaga accompanied by her most unique Projectile "Artist" onstage, Rap, 97% of which is incoherent mumbling or lead tongued babbling? That music? No thanks. If it must be music, the collections must be far more varied, far less pedestrian. I don't mean all has to be from 1985 or before. There were some good sounds in the 90's too; 'The Cure' had Just Like Heaven with Roger Smiths great compositions, they later had Wish and Disintegration, both of which I never tire of. The Psychedelic Furs had many fun, stylish, and well done songs, Heartbreak Beat, Love My Way, or dip a toe into the deep pool of tender love ballads in spanish; Luis Miguel album Romance is fantastic, and I barely know spanish. ...There is minimalist Classical music, my favorite being from Philip Glass, many may recall Glass's 1983 recording of Koyaniskatsi, Kind of Hopi influenced scores with baroque structures. I know, I know, there are no such radio stations that I know of that are going to play Phillip Glass. Maybe on FM.
Delete2:55 - I'm guessing that at least 95% of all music listened to these days (of all genres) is downloaded or streamed. Radio? Not so much - but certainly not obsolete.
DeleteYou would be correct. Even today, with "digital" CD's now "out of vogue," online downloads have sharply fallen over the last four years. YouTube, Spotify, Rdio and Beats along with Pandora -- all "on demand" and customized for each listener are "in it" now.
DeleteThere would be MUCH more involved in this alleged transition "back to the past" than most of us realize (altho some posters above have correctly alluded to the inherent complexity of such a move). And (also referenced above by some), it all costs m-o-n-e-y. Where is that gonna come from?? It's not like Cumulus / KGO is in the venture-capitalist phase.....I personally don't think it's gonna happen - and shouldn't. (And if by some outside chance, it DOES - NO KAREL PLEASE)
ReplyDeleteDear Christine,
DeleteWhy not do what Rich did? Call Steve Sklenar direct! I have a sneaky feeling that he, as market manager of the Cumulus cluster, has those numbers right there on his iPad that he carries with him all the time. Why wouldn't he share the numbers and his reasoning with you since you breathed the air at KGO as a fill-in or 20 years?
I would never do that. I was merely commenting on the reasoning of the poster who said they knew , but didn't know. Ratings information is pricey and is the property of the subscriber. In any event, I do fill-in, which isn't measured. If I did a regular program, I would certainly ask if I could see them. Over the years, I've worked at tv and radio stations , some of which posted everything, others which didn't.
DeleteKGO may bring talk back, but it will never be like it used to be. My guess is they will populate the airwaves with hosts like Ethan Bearman. I don't mean to harp on the guy; I'm sure he's very nice and all, but he is no Barbara Simpson or Lee Rodgers. The truth is they don't make talk show hosts like they used to.
ReplyDeleteJust like most things in life. They don't make Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Wilt Chamberlain, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice or Steve Young either.
DeleteOne can try to "recreate" it, but it doesn't work -- just like there is no Dr. Don Rose, Lee Sherwood, Pete Wilson, Gene Burns and so many others.
Life goes on. Strangely, but surely.
So KGO was at least profitable when Cumulus bought it and now it is losing money??
ReplyDeleteWTF?
Protitable? But not by much. With an aging "non-advertiser interest" cloud the devil's in the details. The station, then, ranked 13th in the 25-54 demographic and below that in the more important 18-49, 24-49 and non-existant 18-34. Advertisers saw KGO as "a thing of the past" and they were right.
DeleteWith the electronic PPM audience estimate technology, all hell broke loose from the old "diary recall" days. No longer were people able to "fake" filling out paper diaries at the last minute. The PPM, smaller sample and all, "heard" all and reported it. The unit "hears" radio, but doesn't know if the listener is actually "listening" or not.
Shares plummeted. The PPM technology is not kind to certain formats like urban or "news/talk". The rest is history. A knee-jerk reaction to a weak news approach, weaker talk talent on the weekends and KCBS with KQED laughed all the way to the bank. Even KCBS has the benefit of KFRC-FM in a simulcast. KQED already there.
A lot of work ahead for how KGO will dig itself out of this. Stay tuned.
You're all ridiculous. AM will never attract 18-49.
ReplyDeleteNot in numbers that matter, for sure.
DeleteRush Limbaugh and his ilk wrecked talk radio by becoming too extreme, and driving away a whole demographic from listening in the 1990s. Now so many of these 'talkers' are different versions of Rush; Hannity, Michael Savage (one of the most dysfunctional people in the history of radio), Brain Sussman, and on and on. The reason that even tempered, clear thinking and middle of the road political talk went down the drain is that programmers and consultants looked at the numbers Rush was bringing in and said: "Hey, let's do that!"
ReplyDeleteYou have to remember that most of the people who work in programming, consult for stations, or run the broadcast operations are NOT AT ALL IMAGINATIVE. The really smart, worldly folks in radio work at PBS, NOT in commercial radio, where everything is driven by rating points and advertising revenue.
Serving the Public? now that's a sad joke. How some of these stations get away with what they are foisting on the air and not called on the carpet for fulfilling their obligations by the FCC is astonishing. But that's because the Congress and the President gave these dim-bulbs carte blanche when they passed the Communications Act in 1995, helping to deregulate the industry. This DID NOT make things more competitive as the proponents of that bill claimed it would. Quite the opposite. And people such as the Dickeys are NOT broadcasters, they're bean counters.
The industry has always needed good bean counters to help make the commercial stations viable, but now the bean counters run radio. And in today's excessively greedy 21st century America, they want more than their share of the pie. Everyone, especially those running the business of radio, are just like the majority lof arge businesses in the United States todayL short sided, greedy and unimaginative. And no sense of loyalty to anything or anyone, except the all mighty dollar!
And it's going to get worse. And why should anyone want to listen to KGO anymore when they can get what they want off their 'smart-phones' (if that isn't an oxymoron, I don't know what is!)
Very sad....very very sad. And who's to blame? We all are for letting this happen without paying attention, or having enough interest enough to care. America...we are reaping what we've sown!
Please ... calm down. Go get a job. You'll be doing something productive with your life other than writing such silly tripe. Bless you.
DeleteNews 5-9
ReplyDeleteRonn 9-12
Radio Tradio 12-4
News 4-7
Jann.Wahl 8-10
UFO and conspiracy talk 10-2
Best of Ronn 2-5
A 50,000 watt, clear channel, signal goes forever Radio Tradio for FOUR hours in SF every day? Christine, is that you writing at 6:36? All Ronn Radio, with Tradio in the afternoon and, um, news, Jann Wahl and UFO and conspiracy talk. Sorry, this is too delusional. Have you been sucking helium out of a baloon by any chance?
DeleteHahahahaha....... You'd think they would be RAKING in all the money from a shitload of B.S. ads.
ReplyDeleteLooks like "kars-4-kids" ads are not paying the bills! No matter how many times they play it!.......hahaha
....looks like NOBODY is buying mattresses RONNN !
Well, at least not buying mattresses from an AM radio station :(
Maybe KQED can buy their sorry butts. : (
Thats your AM/FM combo.
Anonymous 4:44pm has it right - the situation was not good before the change, which is why the change happened in the first place. This is the fact that seems to get overlooked by the avid fans of the old format. I hope they're able to find a way to improve the situation, as there are a lot of good people working their tails off in that place (as there were before the format change).
ReplyDeleteI'm in the 18-49 bracket .... and you KGO suck !!!!!
ReplyDeleteLets see... start by giving away "great" prizes to 18-49 listeners such as Iphones,
Googleglass, MUNI passes, etc.
Take that mattress crap and shove it up ur azz..
Christine, can you please stop making a fool out of yourself and learn how message boards work?
ReplyDeleteTwo "Anonymous" posts at different times cannot be ascribed to the same person.
Yet, you go into abrasive lawyer mode and try to point out inconsistencies between the two posts as if they were made by the same person... Fail!
Lol.
Your idea of what is "an abrasive lawyer mode" is ludicrous. I merely asked why the poster, on the one hand said he/she knew the weekend ratings were stellar, but on the other hand, hadn't seen them. I merely asked how that was logically possible. The other post, to which you apparently refer, appeared after my inquiry. None of it had anything to do with lawyering..As far as 6:41's inability to comprehend that I live on property with horses, land, and neighbors who get together on thanksgiving for a shared feast, what can I say, other than it's really fun and informal. Why would that annoy you so? Are you stuck with a t.v.turkey dinner all alone with your smartass phone? pity.
DeleteThank you Mrs. Walton. Say hi to John Boy for us. Summary: Delusional in the first degree..
DeletePlease no Christine Craft...PLEASEEEEEEE....good god we've heard enough from the old hack...horrible interviewer...just a very delusional old lady at this point...have any big pretend parties lately Christine? You know the kind where you leave your guests...go online and spend time writing on a blog..............hahahahahahaha
ReplyDeleteyou are an idiot, don't listen to Christine if you dislike her so much. She is not delusional, she is a very smart informed person, her age has nothing to do with anything, you might disagree with her, and I do at times as well, but that doesn't take anything away from her being a good talk show host.
DeleteYeah. "Don't listen." There's a good solution. Don't be aware of what nitwits like her say. What country do you live in? I thought this was a multi-party choice we have in our country. Guess not you. No one has said she's not a good talk show host, she's off the scope of the radical left that is all about Hate. Our elders shouldn't talk that way about all people represented, whether you like them or not. That's why this country is int he shape it's in on BOTH sides. Thank you for reading and I approve this message, moron.
DeleteMy six-year-old son spends every other weekend with me, and when I put on Pat Thurston, he invariably says, "It's the hate lady!"
ReplyDeleteEven a child can recognize liberal intolerance.
Cry T-Bagger,cry.
Delete7:31, Go fill your sons head with the HATED coming from all the RightWing Radio stations blanketing America, they're filled with venom and hate.
Delete"Liberal Intolerance"? Now you're projecting!
Because absolutely nobody...in all of America...
does INTOLERANCE like Fringe Republicans.
And that's why you're weak and sick GOP is floundering!
Great! I'll pass that on to Ed Shultz and Stephanie Miller for you. I'd send it along to Randi Rhodes, but she's now all gone. How about Karel? You want to hear venomous viper hate speech? You biased wack job.
DeleteYou wear blinders even California Chrome wouldn't be caught wearing in the Belmont Stakes. Geesh.
9:22pm anon, you're n example of how America has indeed, 'dumbed down.' Read what you've just written. You sound as if you were barely a high school grad. Have you ever considered putting together a few sentences without using truncated words and profanity? No imagination, and this is what America has become. Pathetic!
ReplyDeleteTo 7:31 why do you put Pat Thurston on so much that a six year old recognize her voice, and why do you listen to what you call "hate radio"? If Pat Thurston is a hate lady, what does that make Michael Savage and Rush? Does your six year old think they are hateful? Just curious how bias your are.
ReplyDelete9:22 pm actually had some good promotional ideas, but they were sandwiched in between gratuitous insults. Both the first and last sentences were written to degrade and humiliate. Most folks stop listening to you if the suspect you're not ever going to be on there side of the argument. "(Very) Old School translation; You get more bees with honey vs vinegar".
ReplyDeleteI would wait a while before giving away a lot of GoogleGlass gadgets. Many businesses want nothing to do with having folks walk around their customers while wearing a "Spy, Film and Upload to Youtube" device like some kind of Miner's helmet. In the proper setting, say in a hospital, this could be helpful, but other places? Not often, until the glasswearers learn some discretion and consideration of others. Those who act like selfish jerks, or Complete Glassholes risk having someone snatch that expensive toy off their head, throwing in on the floor and 'killing it' with a grinding stomp of a boot. Property damage is wrong, of course, but being civilized is a group effort.
OMG....On the Karel show. The traffic guy is talking about the Bay to breakers.
ReplyDeleteHe said it starts at the "Embark-abadero" He said it twice !
LMFAO
WAFL
Embark-abaderoo ......Is KGO now a training station... for newbies?
Yes, at least in the Dallas office, where traffic reports originate. That's Dallas, TX, I might add, in case. The Karel-ster is again aching for someone to invite him to a Gay Pride parade and dance. Bummer. It's like a Prom Date for him
ReplyDelete.